May 4, 2006

Carolina in the News

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:

International

Hospital PCs are source of infection
The Economic Times (Gurgaon, Haryana)
Computer keyboards used in hospitals are a reservoir for bacteria that staff could pass to patients and need to be disinfected every day, a new study warns. ... William A. Rutala at the University of North Carolina Health Care System and other researchers said every keyboard tested positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci, a major cause of bloodstream infection in hospitalized patients.
Related Links: http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/532334/main.html
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/05/03/hscout532334.html
UNC Health Care Release: http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/newsroom/news/2006/Apr/keyboards

National

Too Soon to Breathe Easy?
The New York Times
Some doctors hail it as a major breakthrough that offers hope to many of the nation's 37 million sinusitis sufferers. A new procedure opens the sinuses without invasive surgery, allowing patients to breathe easier and resume normal activity within a day. ... "We're all trying to figure out where this fits in the weaponry," said Dr. Brent A. Senior, a specialist at the University of North Carolina Medical School.

Resurfacing Procedure on Trial for Aging Hips
"Morning Edition," National Public Radio
Device manufacturers are hoping to win regulatory approval of hip-resurfacing technology. The procedure is promoted as a less-invasive alternative to total hip replacement. It's approved for use in Britain. Now, a few dozen surgeons in the United States are offering resurfacing as part of an investigational trial. ... "There's no good long-term follow-up on the current generation of metal-to-metal resurfacing," says Dr. Paul Lachiewicz, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

I.T. and Business Alignment: ExxonMobil's Well-Oiled Machine
Baseline magazine (New York)
Rocketing oil prices are driving the nation's big oil companies to record profits. And ExxonMobil stands out in the industry. By investing in proprietary systems and ensuring that technology is tightly aligned with its top goals of finding more oil and gas and generating more profits from operations, Exxon consistently outperforms its peers. ... "They are at the absolute end of the scale in terms of being an organization that understands their business goals and the role that technology plays in helping them achieve those goals," says Prof. Arvind Malhotra, a technology alignment specialist with the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Regional

Risky behavior
The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.)
As the school year comes to a close, 'tis the season for proms, graduations, last flings and parties. ... "Adolescents who spend a lot of time watching TV or playing computer video games tend to be at higher risk for engaging in all of these risky behaviors," says study co-author Penny Gordon-Larsen, assistant professor of nutrition at UNC and a fellow at the Carolina Population Center.

State & Local Coverage

Same AP tests, less time to learn
The Charlotte Observer
Caitlin Baber could save hundreds of dollars in UNC Chapel Hill tuition if she earns high marks on her three Advanced Placement exams this week.

Schools say s'long to sugary sodas
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Sipping Powerade outside Clayton Middle School on Wednesday, Kaitlyn Burghardt hadn't given much thought to her choice of beverage. Anything would do. ... "It makes it seem like they care about child obesity," said Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the UNC School of Public Health who has helped develop guidelines for healthy drinking. Popkin said that drinks are as responsible as food for childhood obesity -- and that most of those drinks are not consumed at school.

GOP expects caucus to shift after Morgan's loss
The Fayetteville Observer
Republicans in the state House of Representatives will be a more disciplined and conservative caucus after moderate Speaker Pro Tem Richard Morgan’s Tuesday primary loss, party officials and observers said. ... Without Morgan’s powerful voice, remaining moderates in the House might be reluctant to make compromises or deals with Democrats, said Thad Beyle, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

New Campaign Works To Combat Underage Tobacco Sales
WRAL (Raleigh)
North Carolina is raising the red flag on illegal tobacco sales. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue rolled out a new campaign Wednesday at the American Tobacco Complex in Durham. ... Now in its second year, the campaign will continue to target districts that have some of the highest rates of tobacco sales to minors based on research conducted by the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

Issues & Trends

Universities prepare for possible pandemic
WWAY (Wilmington)
President Bush's homeland security adviser says the government will take immediate action to prevent or slow any bird flu outbreak. ... UNC system schools will meet in Raleigh on June 7 to work on fine-tuning ideas into plausible actions in case of the worst-case scenario.
Related Links: http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=84077&SecID=2

Revenues help keep Carrboro tax rate steady
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Carrboro's property tax rate would hold steady under a recommended budget presented to the Board of Aldermen on Wednesday. ... About 6 percent of the budget, a little more than $1 million, is designated to continue free bus service offered in cooperation with Chapel Hill and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Series B funds bring Qualyst's total to $5.5M
The Triangle Business Journal
Qualyst, a Raleigh company that develops products for pharmaceutical and biotech researchers, said Wednesday it has closed its series B preferred stock offering. ... Qualyst was founded in 2001 by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill based on research discoveries at the school.

Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.